Different Meeting
by alicat54
Summary: What if Ichigo didn't meet the Zangetsu, that we all know, when he summoned his sword in Urahara's training basement? Pre soul society
1. Chapter 1

Ichigo dodge another death strike from the crazy store manager.

Last week had looked so promising too, but then Rukia had been kidnapped and he almost killed.

Urahara had offered to help him 'regain his powers', and almost without thinking Ichigo jumped at the chance.

That's when his week started its even greater downward spiral.

First came that absurdly strong little girl, that had been scary but nothing he couldn't handle.

Then there was that evil pit that will forever haunt his darkest nightmares. He'd nearly lost his soul and turned into a hollow, but in the end, after the weirdest dream of a falling city, he prevailed.

Now, however, said crazy shopkeeper Urahara decides to lose his remaining sanity and chase Ichigo around with a very sharp sword he pulled from his cane.

That leads to the present where Ichigo is running for his life.

'Wait,' a sudden thought struck our young shinigami.

'He pulled that sword from his cane, so it shouldn't be able to hurt me!'

He quickly turned around to test his theory and for his efforts was rewarded with a swipe to his head, that drew a line of blood across his cheek and nearly dislodged the piece of bone mask that he had acquired in the nightmare pit.

"I bet you were thinking ' That sword cant hurt me', well I'm sorry to disappoint you but she is 100% soul slayer."

He ran a hand almost lovingly across the blade. "Sing, Benihime!"

And that's when all hell broke loose.

"If you insist on using that," he motioned to the pieces of sword in the boys hands," then I'm going to have to kill you."

Ichigo ran.

'If I just had a sword!' Ichigo thought frantically as he clutched what was left of his sword hilt.

The floor next to him exploded.

'I'm so weak, I'm going to really die!'

A fist slammed his head into the rocks below. Ichigo didn't know if he was grateful or insulted that Urahara didn't use his sword.

' Why did I run? This is so embarrassing.'

He was crawling now, body too injured to stand.

"Gee Partner, you're so weak."

Ichigo's eyes widened and he saw a white figure standing in front of him, smirking.

"You… who are you?"

The figure grinned maniacally showing black teeth. His face looked so similar to Ichigo's own; in fact they could have been twins if the other wasn't completely white with yellow eyes.

"Well, partner, who do you think I am?"

The memory of his fight with that Renji guy filled his mind.

" Are, are you my sword's spirit?"

If anything the white figure's smirk grew even more sending chills down the orange haired boy's spine.

"If that's what you think I am, then I guess I am!"

His yellow eyes looked beyond Ichigo, to where an insane hat and clogs wearing merchant was approaching, sword drawn, and narrowed almost unnoticeably.

"Well, you better cal your sword's name or you'll be dead in a minute." He frowned and looked with innocent curiosity at the ceiling so very far above them, "I wonder if you can even hear it you?"

The figure glared at Ichigo who still was on the ground.

"What are you afraid of, only the weak are afraid because the weak die. Get up and don't stop fighting. Because if you do, you're not worth my time."

Ichigo shook with fear, but stood a new blaze of something, maybe pride maybe determination, gleaming in his eye.

"Come on say your sword's name!"

Crouching as if to unsheathe a sword Ichigo felt something inside of himself change.

A strong wind from nowhere roared through him as he turned to Urahara roaring "Zangetsu!"

The dust collected by the wind dispersed revealing Ichigo's new sword.

It was huge, a cleaver meant to break through all form and subtlety.

There was no hilt, no guard, only white metal with a dark edge and a black strip of cloth at the end where the boy held it.

Strangely the piece of bone mask still sat comfortably on his orange hair, undisturbed by both the wind or the violent struggle that preceded it.

Urahara's demonic demeanor seemed to vanish instantly. He smiled.

"Now since your soul cutter's appeared, lets officially start test three!"

"Sorry," Ichigo's voice broke this overly cheery declaration," you will have to hide well, because I'm not going to hold back."

"Wha?"

"I promised someone I wouldn't stop till I beat you, or I wouldn't be worth their time."

Power spiraled round him as he lifted his sword from the ground and slashed.

The dust settled revealing a canyon like crater stretching the span of the underground base.

"Hm, if I hadn't erected this barrio in time I could have lost an arm. Even my hat's ruined."

Carefully Urahara approached the collapsed and snoozing teen propped up on his giant sword.

"Congratulations, you've passed test three!"


	2. Chapter 2

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+__

When Ichigo awoke from his ordeal, it was to find that he had surprisingly survived in one piece.

He felt that alone deserved some form of celebration, maybe a moment's rest where he could forget that nightmare.

Alas his crazy torturer- I mean teacher- didn't share those sentiments.

The second Ichigo could stand by himself he was once again thrown into the basement and chased around with a sharp sword.

The only consolation was that this time he had an equally sharp, and much bigger sword to chase back with.

All that running and blocking was doing wonders for his muscles.

Unknowingly it also gave him some much-needed experience that he needed in order to save Rukia.

What he did notice however was that ever since he had woken up he had had the irksome feeling someone was watching him.

It had all started when he had found a piece of mask stuck to his forehead after waking up. Urahara claimed it was a souvenir from the shattered shaft, and Ichigo not wanting any memories from that evil place had at once tried to pry it off his head.

It hadn't gone as well as he had hoped. Every time he tried to pry it off his fingers just slid off it, he just couldn't get any traction. Trying to shake it off was no good either; it was stuck to his head like a bad ex-girlfriend.

He was beginning to resign himself to forever wearing what looked like half an eggshell on his head, until Urahara had gotten the bright idea to spontaneously begin his training and whack him upside the head with his sharp, but thankfully still sheathed, sword.

That sure did knock the mask off, as well as to adding another bruise to the boy's ever increasing collection. By the end of this he was sure that he was going to collect them all, whether he wanted to or not.

Currently he was facing Urahara head to head in what the crazy shop owner called a spar. It basically consisted of him trying to kill our hero, and Ichigo attempting to either a) block, b) dodge, or c) do something else.

The little voice in his head that he associated with tactics nagged at him to choose option c. he gave a mental shrug and leapt back to give himself some distance before slashing the ground creating another monstrous canyon.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, Urahara managed to dodge out of the way.

He clapped his hands appreciatively. "Good one Ichigo!"

The orange haired teen smirked.

" Good? That was pathetic!"

Time paused.

Startled Ichigo spun around and saw the white copy of himself, his sword's spirit. Something looked different about him.

" You've changed your outfit." He said lamely, mind still trying to figure out just how the white clad other kept sneaking up on him.

Said other smiled. "Oh, I'm so glad you noticed!" He leapt off the boulder on which he was perched letting the long white floor brushing coat flare out behind him.

The bottom was torn and ragged, and though the coat was way too long to be practical it didn't seem to bother the white figure.

"I won it in a bet." He smile mischievously again," Maybe one day you'll get one like it!"

Ichigo just shrugged, not sure how to respond.

"Well any way that attack was almost as pathetic as you are."

Left off balance by the figure's mood swing he spluttered, "What! Why?"

The white other snorted, "That's a stupid question. Its not even worth my time to answer."

The orange haired boy glared. "Well I'm doing the best I can with what I've got!"

"No you're not."

"Wha- yes I am! I'm training non-stop so I can save Rukia before Soul Society kills her! I'm-"

The figure cut him off.

"Did it ever occur to you to ask, I don't know, your sword how to fight with swords better?"

Ichigo was struck silent. At length he said, "Do you mean you?"

The figure hesitated.

"You could ask me, yes."

Another awkward pause. "Will you teach me?"

The figure smirked, and turned away mockingly, "Well I don't know, you threw away my mask and you didn't even say please…"

Ichigo got down on his knees, face bowed to the floor, "Please teach me to be stronger!"

The white other stare at him, a calculating look on his face, before quickly covering it up with a wide smile that set all the hairs on Ichigo's neck standing.

"Fine, but you owe me a favor."

+_+_+_+_+_+_++

…There seems to be some confusion concerning Ichigo's mask. Allow me to elaborate and explain my insane logic.

A hollow's powers comes from its mask.

Whenever Ichigo's hollow appears either his eyes change then a mask appears signifying the hollows strength.

A shinigami's sword breaks hollow masks. That's why Urahara could knock it off in the manga, and that's why it didn't fall off while ichi was fighting.

Because Urahara didn't knock off the piece of mask the hollow still had some power. In other words because the mask wasn't knocked off it was able to over power Zangetsu and meet Ichigo.

However that doesn't mean ichi wont get hollow powers.

Now that we have this cleared up, lets continue.

Kudos to all who noticed that the hollow was wearing Zangtsu's Bankai coat.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer;don't own anything except my insane logic

_+_+_+_+_+

He hadn't heard a word from his sword since that last conversation in Urahara's basement.

Ichigo was a bit more than mildly annoyed. He had tried everything he could think of to communicate with the fickle white spirit; meditation trying to find his 'center' (that hadn't gone well), yelling at his sword, angrily throwing it across the room, and then frantically apologizing to said sword after retrieving it from its brief flight.

Alas his efforts were for naught, since the white spirit was the one who always began their little heart to heart chats, leaving Ichigo unable to start one of his own.

"Come on Zangetsu, I said I was sorry for throwing you, why don't you talk to me?"

Once again he was left glaring at the smooth un-scratched grey metal.

'Wait grey?'

Ichigo stared confused at the giant cleaver, which remained a solid off white grey through and through. The reaper-in-training frowned. He could have sworn that the sword was white with a black cutting edge and cloth, but now its pristine white was slowly turning grey while the inky black was growing lighter.

Growling angrily he let the blade fall from his hands to lie flat on the ground reflecting the false blue of the sky in its depths.

He glared down at the sword and saw his own face reflected back at himself.

"Fine, is this another test or something? I'll get strong enough to save Rukia by myself, I don't need your help!"

His reflection in the sword didn't answer, though the ghost of a smirk stayed on it long after Ichigo had stopped looking into it and resumed his training.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The day of the infiltration of Soul Society and rescue mission had arrived.

Ichigo's sword had darkened stubbornly into a uniform grey that flickered from going lighter or darker almost constantly. He never grew tired of watching black and white fight for dominance, and developed a bad habit of staring at the reflective metal for long periods of time oblivious to the world around him.

When Urahara summoned him to his store Ichigo was surprised to see that his friends Chad and Orihime along with Ishida had decided to come along help him too.

Despite their help Ichigo secretly didn't know if even their help would be enough to save Rukia. But almost immediately after that thought reared its ugly head it was forcibly beat down by Ichigo's sheer determination, which others might call stupidity.

Well, there also was a talking cat named Yoruichi, but let's not go there, I mean what help would a cat be?

After a near fatal encounter with a giant worm like creature on the way to soul society, defeating the gate guardian, and being forcibly ejected from the inner city back into the ryuutama- shikai by a captain, the group sought asylum with an old friend of Yorochi's.

With the Shiba's help they were fired (literally) straight into the city beyond the gate. Alas they were separated along the way leaving Ichigo and Ganju alone together.

Things were going great, or at least as great as things could go when an entire city is out to kill you. Ichigo even managed to beat up that Renji guy who had taken Rukia from him, though not without great cost.

Their captive/accomplice Hanataro was kind enough to heal him. Ichigo even managed to get back that mask that his sword spirit had been so worked up about before.

He didn't notice that when he picked it up and put it back in his inner coat pocket that his sword Zangetsu turned a lighter shade of grey.

He was feeling pretty optimistic since his defeat of the vice captain Renji, so he didn't even hesitate when another person, a captain this time, challenged him.

His cool turned frantic when he through trial and error discovered that, Zangetsu, his color challenged and big-but-not-compensating-for-anything sword that had never yet let him down, could not cut this spiky haired giant.

So now he was running again.

He even had a crazed psychopath thirsty for his blood chasing him.

Despite his impending doom Ichigo couldn't help but wonder, as he briefly sat resting beside a wall, if this guy Zakari also owned a shop that deceptively sold candy and junk food.

Before he could finish this thought or even catch his breath the wall next to him exploded outward revealing the aforementioned psycho.

Ichigo was off like lightening. Then an odd and inspiring thought struck him with the same speed. It also incurred a sense of dejavu.

'Why am I running?'

He stopped dead in his tracks scowl firmly in place.

'If I cant beat him all this will be for nothing! Rukia will be killed and so will my friends and me. I must win!'

He took off running again only this time towards the one trying to kill him. With bloody knuckles he gripped his sword and slashed down blood flying everywhere.

That's when everything went to hell, again.

Turns out that the captain of the 11th squad was holding back. Now Ichigo's sword was broken, again, and he was lying in a puddle of his own blood, again, cursing his own inability, again.

'Damn, I cant die yet! I have to save Rukia!'

That's when the oddest thing happened. Everything stood still, even the wind stopped.

A dark figure materialized from the shadows and approached him.

He was tall had long dark hair and looked old, around mid thirties, Ichigo judged. He wore a pair of dark sunglasses and a startlingly familiar coat.

They stared at each other. Finally the dark figure spoke.

"To fight or to live, choose."

Ichigo stared at him confused as to why he looked familiar.

"Who are you?" He choked through a mouth full of blood.

"Choose."

Almost unbidden the answer was already on his lips.

"I want to win."

The figure nodded and Ichigo felt himself being sucked down a long dark tunnel.

When he opened his eyes he was in a sideways city.

"This place looks familiar…" he trailed off as the memories of falling and tiny little white boxes everywhere around him, and- he turned eyes widened in realization to the dark figure behind him.

"You were the guy who helped me here before, aren't you."

The fact that he was defying all laws of physics and standing sideways on the side of a building didn't seem to faze him in light of his discovery.

The dark figure nodded. "Yes, that was I."

The question came before he could stop himself. "Who are you?"

"You know my name."

Before Ichigo could deny that statement another voice chimed in.

"Hey there partner."

Ichigo turned around so fast to face the figure he gave himself whiplash.

"Zangetsu, why are you here?"

The white figure chuckled, then broke out into a side-splitting roar.

Angry and confused as to what was so funny Ichigo tried again. "Hey, Zangetsu I'm talking to you!"

"And I hear you Ichigo," the black figure behind him answered.

Ichigo turned frowning to face the dark figure, "You're not Zangetsu, he is."

The white doppelganger writhing in mirth on the ground managed to calm his laughter, a mighty fear I might add, long enough to choke out, "Actually, partner…. he is!" before descending back into cackling madness.

Ichigo looked nonplussed. "Wait, what?"

The black clad figure clarified for the otherwise occupies white one.

"I am Zangetsu."

This proclamation and its confirmation made Ichigo's head spin. He sat down hard on the glass window underneath him.

After taking several slow calming breaths he said to the black clad figure, "Ok, fine, but if you're Zangetsu then who is he?" Here he indicated the white figure, who had finally stopped laughing, for the most part anyway, and was coming to sit next to Ichigo.

The white figure chuckled, "I have no name."

Ichigo looked angrily at him, "But you said you were Zangetsu!"

The nameless white mirror shook it's head, it's face sporting a teasing smile, "I never actually said I was Zangetsu, you just assumed I was," he jerked a thumb at the black clad man, "He's Zangetsu, I just met you first."

Ichigo growled angrily running a hand through his orange hair, "Then Who Are You?"

"I told you I-"

Ichigo groaned again and clarified, " That's not what I meant, I mean I you're not my zanpakuto spirit then what are you?"

The figure grinned showing black teeth, "Oh, I'm you, but if you were a hollow."

Ichigo's brain just couldn't accept this piece of information. "Hu?"

The white figure, newly proclaimed as a hollow, made a face and stared up into the cloudy sky. Well actually he looked to the left, sideways world and all.

Thankfully the black figure, Zangetsu, swooped to Ichigo's rescue.

"We represent the two parts of yourself and your power." He waited for a slow nod before continuing.

"I am the guardian of your soul slayer, Zangetsu. I represent the powers granted to you as a shinigami." Somehow he produced a black bladed version of Zangetsu with a white ribbon on the hilt, and held it lazily in his hand.

"He," here Zangetsu motioned to the white figure sitting next to Ichigo, "represents your powers as a hollow." The white clad figure pulled the scary bone mask from an inner pocket of his white coat and held it mockingly in front of his face, his smirk matching the mask's.

"You could not call me soon enough when you were becoming a hollow in that pit, so he was born. I was over powered before I could meet you."

"Maa, you don't have to sound so disappointed old man!" the hollow said angrily, mask still in hand but dropped from his face which had lost its smirk.

Ichigo looked from black figure to white, and shivered as he felt the intense dislike that permeated the air between them.

Deciding it was safest to change the subject before something violent occurred Ichigo cut in," Ok, you're my shinigami powers, and you're my hollow powers, so then what about me?"

"Our different powers are held in balance by you, therefore you are equally both a hollow and shinigami," Zangetsu said.

"But that also means that you are also neither a hollow nor shinigami," the white figure shrugged," You fall perfectly into that grey area between us."

"Wait, then what am I?"

"Enough questions! We brought you here for more than a little chat, you want to beat that guy right?" the hollow stood and stretched cracking his back.

Ichigo cleared his muddled thoughts and nodded quickly several times a determined frown firmly in place. "I need to save Rukia!"

His serious mood was broken when the white hollow whacked him over the head with the porcelain skull mask a slightly bored and annoyed look on his face, adding another large bruise to Ichigo's collection.

"What was that for!" Ichigo yelled angrily, mock tears of pain pricking his eyes.

"You're an idiot." The hollow smirked and stood next to Zangetsu. "You're weak by yourself, because you're only human." His smirk grew wider," But together we are something else, something stronger. You're not alone partner, let us fight too and we'll destroy anyone who dares to oppose us!" The maniacal grin and evil laughter was back.

Ichigo looked at him with some trepidation when the fit of madness didn't recede.

"He's right, Ichigo," by Zangetsu's tone Ichigo could tell he was loathe to admit this, "rely on us, lend us you're power, and we'll lend you ours."

The orange haired teen nodded in thanks and understanding." Hey, I know I haven't formally met either of you until now so..." he trailed off unsure about what to say.

"Will you both help me?"

=-=-=-=-=-

What followed was a fight that went down in the history of Soul Society, or at least squad 11's.

Zakari was surprised when the poor kid he had left for dead managed to stand, and even more so when he managed to cut him multiple times.

Even when he took off his eye patch the kid kept coming.

What thoroughly impressed him, however, was when the kid managed to actually beat him, right before passing out from blood loss.

It would take them a long time to fix all the demolished buildings.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

Bet you weren't expecting that twist!

Here's my insane logic again so don't kill me just yet.

A Vizard has both shinigami and hollow powers, with the shinigami powers dominant, making them more shinigami than hollow.

An Arrancar has both hollow and shinigami powers with the hollow powers dominant, making them more hollow than shinigami.

Ichigo currently had no side of his power dominant, so he's something else.

As to why Ichigo's inner hollow isn't trying to kill him, it's because he is currently fighting Zangetsu for dominance. Since Ichigo is holding their powers in balance they are equally matched, so until his hollow powers become dominant he cant kill him.

Ichigo actually trusts Hichigo more than Zangetsu 'cuz he knew him longer, and Zangetsu doesn't like that.

As to why the hollow and zangetsu dont get along, well wasnt there like this whole explanation how hollows and shinigami are polar opposites and hate each other?


	4. Chapter 4

+_+_+_+_+-

Having defeated the 11th division captain Ichigo's body decided that it deserved a long rest after all the abuse its careless minder put it through.

That leaves our hero out like a light in the middle of a city out to get him.

Luckily Yoruichi, the cat of many talents, managed to find and save his sorry hide before anyone else found him, or before he bled to death.

Of course Ichigo, being unconscious, did not know this.

At the moment he was in fact trying to have a coherent and civil interrogation like conversation with the entities inside his head. Not to say that he's skitzo, he was trying to talk to his inner hollow and Zangetsu.

Let us emphasize the word _trying._

"Why wont you give me a strait answer?" the frustrated teen growled.

The white clad hollow scoffed, a mocking smile on his face while Zangetsu's was stoically blank. "Gee partner, it's not my fault if I can't explain it any clearer!"

Ichigo growled again, "All I want to know is what I am! You said you would tell me once we defeated that captain guy!"

Now the hollow looked annoyed. "I explained best I could, you're something between a hollow and a shinigami!"

"But what is that exactly?"

Now the white clad copy's annoyance mirrored Ichigo's frustration," I don't know, alright?"

He rounded upon the stunned teen," I don't know any more facts than you? If anything he would know!"

Here he tossed a glare at the black clad man who was wisely obtaining from the conversation by staring left into the sunset that painted the sky red with only a few dark clouds marring its beauty.

The orange haired teen looked hopefully at Zangetsu. "Do you know?"

A small grimace flitted across the spirit's face before he nodded slowly, eyes still not looking at the two inversed twins.

Ichigo took a hesitant step towards him; joy threatening to shatter his patented scowl.

"Can you tell me?"

Here he slowly shook his head. " I can not."

"What! Why?" The confused rage that a moment before had left him was once again returning.

The guardian didn't answer; he only shook his head again and vanished into the air.

Rage gone, only to be replaced with a confused depression, Ichigo sank to his knees and sat heavily on the glass panels, dejectedly hanging his head in his hands.

The hollow seeing Zangetsu's departure spat on the ground after him. "Good riddance, he's always been bad company."

He paused and his yellow gaze flickered to the defeated looking teen. With a sigh he too sat down, and uncharacteristically waited patiently for Ichigo to say something.

Soon the silence was broken by a shaky breath. "What is his problem?" Ichigo looked up at his doppelganger and clenched his hands into fists.

"I have a right to know what I am! Why didn't he tell me, or even come up with a good reason why he didn't?"

The white figure shrugged, "He couldn't."

Ichigo groaned, "Not you too!"

The hollow sighed. "No he really couldn't. Unlike me he knows a lot, but is bound by a bunch of weird rules so he can hardly ever say anything."

This gave the orange haired teen pause. "What do you mean unlike you?"

The hollow considered his answer for a moment, by making a humming noise while staring off into space, before answering.

"Well everything that applies to him doesn't apply to me. We're opposites," he chuckled, "like a shinigami and a hollow."

He noticed the blank look of incomprehension on his audience's face before he wracked his brain for a way to elaborate.

"Well, like I said before, he knows lots of factual stuff and is bound by laws, but I'm made up of instinct and do whatever I want. I look like you, he doesn't. He can't lie to you, but I can. And, uh, he comes with a name, but I don't. And, ummm, he's -Emotion, but I'm not."

A matter-of-fact look crossed his face, "Well, I mean I'm not Mr. Emotional, but I do feel like hate, and annoyance, and stuff, and he doesn't… I think…. Maybe it's 'cuz I'm a hollow, and we're made up of negative emotions like that…" he trailed off head tilted to the side thoughtfully as he contemplated the mystery of his own existence.

Ichigo nodded slowly, still confused, but it's always wise to humor the crazy person, especially when they're trying to cheer you up.

The hollow shook himself from his thoughts, "Well we're opposites, I can't explain it any better. We define ourselves in the context of the other. What one of us is, the other isn't. What one wants or feels the other doesn't, well usually anyway, there are a few exceptions survival being one…" He trailed off again, before returning to the topic at hand.

"Makes it terribly hard to get anything done here, we can never agree on anything!" he laughed.

"Wait, feels?"

The hollow nodded, "Yep, like right now the old man doesn't really trust you, so that means I do."

Ichigo frowned, "Why doesn't he trust me?"

"Because you trust me, and he doesn't think a… whatever you are, should listen to his hollow over his zanpakuto."

The teen wrinkled his nose in distaste, "Well that's not a very good reason."

"He seems to think otherwise."

Ichigo leaned back on his arms staring at the infinite rows of buildings above him.

"Well should I trust you? I mean aren't hollows suppose to be evil or something?"

The hollow laughed again, "Ain't that a loaded question!"

They sat in companionable silence watching the sideways world change into night.

Finally Ichigo broke the silence. "So what is you're name?"

The other sighed exasperatedly, "I told you before, unlike the old man, I don't come with a name."

"Oh." Another stretch of silence.

Then awkwardly, "Do you want one?"

Yellow eyes accompanied by a smirk turned to him, "Are you offering?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, "I need to call you something don't I?"

" I suppose so."

Silence, then- " So what about Hichigo?"

The hollow gave him a deadpan look.

"Are you serious? That sounds like a bad online dating service."

Ichigo flushed embarrassed. "I was just thinking, because you said you were me, but a hollow, so …"

The newly dubbed Hichigo shrugged, "Whatever, it's fine."

They watched as the last rays of sun sank to the right over the horizon, then the white hollow briskly stood up.

"Right partner, you've got to wake up now."

Ichigo looked confused at the sudden statement. "Hu?"

The hollow was walking away as the darkness claimed the scenery, turning the sideways city into a fuzzy haze.

-

The next thing our hero knew he was laying comfortably on a make shift bed blinking blearily around at what appeared to be a warehouse.

"Oh, you're awake." Ichigo turned his head and saw a black cat.

"Yorouichi-san , did you save me? Thanks."

"I got there late, you're just to stubborn to die from those injuries."

Ichigo examined his bandaged chest and winced as it gave a throb of pain.

Having determined his state of injury he addressed his rescuer. "How long have I been out, and have you seen my friends since we got separated? "

"Your friends are all fine, a little worse for wear but fine. Your stuff, however, was trashed during your fight."

As if to emphasize this she pulled a half shattered bone white mask towards him.

"If it wasn't for this thing your heart would have been hit too. Why are you carrying something like this with you anyway?"

Ichigo wasn't really listening. Instead he was gazing at the mask, which was a replica of the one his hollow had in that sideways city, and for the first time wondering why he had it. Before he had been a little preoccupied to think too deeply about the mask's appearance.

'Maybe I need it to use my hollow powers, like how I need a zanpakuto to use my shinigami powers.' He thought.

To Yoruichi he said, "I found it back when this 4th division guy Hanataro was healing me. I, uh, kept it as a good luck charm."

The cat watched him closely, but nodded in acceptance of his half-truth.

"You should really get rid of it, I think it's more likely to attract bad luck than good."

Slowly the orange haired teen nodded reluctantly, and allowed the mask to be taken away while he sank back down into his sickbed and rested.

-

Elsewhere in a sideways city a black and white figure bickered.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+-

Ya, this is an explanation/filler chapter.

Lets recap that at this point ichi doesn't know about arrancar or viazards.

Ok here's where I need help. I have 3 ideas of where this can go, but I don't know what to choose, so I decided to do a poll!

Ichigo goes along with cannon, only with more super cool powers deviating only slightly (I really don't favor this one)

He gets discovered and kicked out of SS then flees to Hueco Mundo (not joining Aizen, though an alliance is possible depending on how it goes)

Totally AU-ed where he is found out and flees to a different 'in-between dimension' of my own creation. This idea would start out strong, then may need another poll for inspiration. Expect more insane logic.

I might kill Rukia or some other important character so be prepared for character death.

I have this planned out till he reached Bankai, so vote soon, or I will take an even longer time to update.


	5. Chapter 5

=-=-=-=-=+_+_+_

Ichigo decided that he had a mixed opinion when it came to Yoruichi.

At first he considered him an annoying cat, then an annoying yet reliable cat that saved his life, and then a definitely female and no longer a cat, smug annoyance.

That smug annoyance had proven to be much more powerful and reliable than he gave her credit for, especially since she apparently managed to go toe to toe with the 6th division captain Byakuya, while Ichigo only just managed to escape with his life by being left for dead twice.

That moved his opinion of her up from smug annoyance to wise and powerful teacher.

That brings us to the present, where Ichigo is pushing aside his anger at being the only one saved by Yoruichi, ignoring his still bleeding wounds, and trying to master a technique which took even the best of shinigami several lifetimes over just to learn.

Oh ya, and he only had three days in which to do this in and save everyone. No pressure.

Currently he stood in a disconcertingly familiar underground training ground listening to his new teacher, Yoruichi.

" Every soul cutter has two release states, " Yoruichi was explaining, " the first initial release you already have, the second one is called 'Ban'. Every captain, except Zakari , had achieved 'Ban-kai'. It can increase your power nearly ten fold. Scary idea, isn't it?"

Ichigo's eyes widened exponentially in awe and disbelief. He couldn't wait to get started.

The woman continued, "Usually it takes years to master this technique the proper way."

A thin smile stretched her face," However since you've only got three days, I will use a different method to teach you."

She pulled out, as if from thin air, an ugly doll like manikin.

"This is a tenshintai. To achieve bankai you need to communicate with your soul cutter guardian, so you stab your sword into the tenshintai to summon it into the material world, instead of you being dragged into the sword's world. You don't have enough control, so I'll keep it materialized for you; the limit is three times a day. You have to defeat your Zanpakuto in whatever challenge he creates, or you won't achieve Baknai. Understand?"

The sharp look of determination was present once again in Ichigo's eye. "The only way to end this is to go all the way to the end, no matter what."

He stabbed his grey sword into the doll. The blade seemed to shatter into a million pieces and reform itself along with the manikin.

Ichigo suddenly wondered which spirit would be called out, the hollow Hichigo or the sword Zangetsu.

A small amount of panic crossed his face as his eyes flicked to Yoruichi. What would happen if she knew about the hollow? Would she refuse to train him, or would she just kill him for being a hollow? Or at least partially hollow, according to his guardian spirits.

He squashed that train of thought and instead cast his gaze at the quickly forming figure, squinting at the bright light show.

He couldn't help the sigh that escaped him when the black-coated Zangetsu appeared, eyes hidden behind visor glasses.

Yoruichi turned to him, "You heard everything?"

The black specter nodded, "Yes."

" You can begin immediately."

He nodded again, "Yes, but first," he turned to Ichigo, "Ichigo we need to talk."

Ichigo nodded and followed the man…spirit behind a boulder away from Yorochi who wore a puzzled and suspicious look on her face. Luckily she didn't seem suspicious enough to follow.

When he was sure he was out of ear shot Ichigo said, "Is this about, you know, my, uh…"

Zangetsu nodded.

Ichigo balled his fists and frowned. "What would happen if they found out?"

There was a pause as if of consideration of his answer. "Shinigami kill hollows," he said at last, " it is in their nature to fight each other." The matter of fact and almost emotionless tone that this was said in gave it an unshakeable ring of finality. Ichigo's shoulder's slumped.

" What am I?" His voice shook as he pleaded, face downcast.

He didn't answer right away.

" Ichigo the reason I was able to meet you here at last was because here in Soul Society a shinigami's powers are stronger." Ichigo looked up confused at the sudden topic change.

Zangetsu continued, " When you trained to regain your shinigami powers you were nearly turned into a hollow, but you managed to find me, your power, before that happened. However your powers were still unsettled when you escaped from that pit, you were stuck in an in-between form, and your powers solidified that way." Ichigo nodded slowly a worried frown of confusion on his face.

Zangetsu continued, "You wore the mark of a hollow, and that strengthened your hollow powers to a point where I, in my weakened state from helping you, could not defeat it. Had you not been wearing that mask I may have been able to over power it, or maybe expel the hollow from your soul, but that is neither here nor there. You now balance both mine and that hollow's powers inside yourself."

Ichigo nodded, he knew this.

The black figure frowned at him a glare from his glasses making his eyes seem to flash emphasizing how serious he was being. "Ichigo I'm warning you now, do not trust that hollow!" he continued speaking over Ichigo's spluttered protests.

"It is a creature of pure instinct, it has no conscious. A hollow is the collection of all the negative emotions in a human soul, I implore you not to trust it!"

"Who are you to tell me who I can and can't trust?" Ichigo practically snarled. If anything the orange haired teen was loyal to his friends.

The spirit flinched back as if struck.

" I've know Hichigo longer than I've known you, so what if he's a hollow? He's my friend, he wouldn't betray my trust!"

Zangetsu seemed to sag, his face lowered to the ground.

"I see. I am sorry."

He kneeled and placed his palms flat against the ground. Ichigo looked at him confused. Swords rained from the sky impaling the ground all around the teen. Ichigo stared around, both awed and wary.

"Only one of these swords is the real Zangetsu. If you want me to give you my power you must find it and defeat me with it, before I kill you."

Swords clashed. Day one of training had begun.

+_+_+_+_+_

Ok poll closed, I've decided how I'm going to end it. 

Thx to all yuz who voted.

Just one thing this will be diverging from the cannon plot. I mean seriously if you want the bleach cannon, go watch it. It's a given that it will be different, hence why we call it fan fiction. As in not the original.

**Bonus: Omake Theate**r

Metal on metal screamed once again as the black and white figures battled.

"I've got you now partner!" the white one screamed with glee bordering on insanity.

"No, you don't!" the black figure grunted with strain hands making wild gestures in quick succession.

"HaHaHa, not if I do this!" the field was filled with a blinding black light instantly incinerating his foe.

"**FATALITY **(Tee Hee!)"

Hichigo cackled madly mimicking his tiny videogame alter ego on the screen by doing a victory dance with the game controller held triumphantly in his fist.

Meanwhile his opponent groaned and hung his head in defeat.

"I want a re-match!"

**end**


	6. Chapter 6

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

When Yoruichi took a certain orange haired teen named Ichigo under her wing, she didn't know what to make of him.

He had no form with a sword, and chose instead to blindly go in swinging at full force. His short temper goaded him to make mistakes, and let's not even mention his abysmal control over his monstrous spiritual power.

When Urahara told her of his plan to send a bunch of teenagers to rescue a soul reaper form execution, she laughed. About five minutes later she calmed enough for him to tell her that, yes he was serious, and no he wasn't crazy.

" I believe Kurosaki-san will be able save Rukia." Was all he said.

She admitted that the boy being able to defeat the gate guardian, despite her ire, was impressive. When he also managed to beat several vice captains and the 11th squad captain, she totally had to revise her thoughts around the young reaper.

The icing on the cake of insanity however was when said teen managed to achieve Bankai in three days. Let's repeat that: Three Days! Three days when it took a regular reaper years.

'Just what is that boy?' she thought eyeing him as he raced off to the execution site.

+_+_+_+_+_+

'I hope I'm not too late!' was the only thought racing through his mind as he ran. Yoruichi had shown him how to shunpo, and he was using it liberally to reach that hill before his friend died. He looked ahead towards his destination and gasped when he saw an enormous bird of flame erupt from nowhere.

"No!" he pushed himself even harder, sword already in hand, "Not yet!"

Later when looking back Ichigo wouldn't be able to say how exactly he got passed the hundreds of shinigami and dispel the giant fire-bird thing.

He would however remember for the rest of his life the look on Rukia's face, both when she called him an idiot and when he threw her head first to that red haired Renji guy.

He disabled their pursuers bare handed, then finally his true rival appeared in a clash of metal on metal.

"Byakuya, I can match your every step now."

A frown marred the captain's usually cool face. "Why do you so persistently try and save Rukia?"

Ichigo glared at him, "you're the one who should be saving her, aren't you her older brother?"

"What a pointless question," he scoffed. "You wouldn't understand."

Their crossed swords broke apart.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I will kill you. Then I will carry out Rukia's execution myself."

"Sorry I cant let that happen!" he leapt back and landed on a rock some feet away. "I'm gonna beat you with everything I've got!"

Byakuya's eves narrowed in anger again. "Scatter, 'he said with only the barest hint of a snarled, "Senbon Zakura!"

Ichigo smirked and swung his sword, "Getsuga Tenshou!"

In a flash of light the ground broke apart leaving behind a massive crater. "Fight me with your bankai, Byakuya!"

The man's level uncaring gaze didn't flicker from the boy's face. "As you wish. I shall enjoy watching you scatter into dust before me."

His sword sank into the earth and multiplied. "Bankai. Senbon Zakure Kageyoshi."

Ichigo's eyes widened as the swords broke apart into millions of pink shards…. and came strait for him.

He managed to block some of the pink wave, but still ended up in the bottom of a crater covered in blood for his troubles.

"Fool," Byakuya spat. He turned away, but stopped when a chuckle filled the air behind him.

He turned to see Ichigo, whom he had left for bead, standing in the bottom of that crater head bowed chuckling.

" I didn't think I would have to use it so soon. Guess I underestimated you." His eyes snapped upward meeting the other's. "Let me show you **my** bankai."

He swung his grey cleave in front of him, "Bankai!" A great wind filled the hilltop, and when the dust cleared a wide-eyed 6th division captain saw Ichigo wearing a long black coat wielding a much smaller and completely black sword.

"Tensa Zangetsu!"

The expression was wiped from his face in an instant. "That is not bankai. It is too small, and a mere drifter like you cannot achieve it."

The petals chased the ten again; he dodged them all by the skin of his teeth revealing his newfound speed.

Byakuya was furious. A growl escaped him as he caught the sword aimed at his side.

The teen backed up.

" This is the form that foregoes all defense, my swords true form."

The tiny shards reformed into swords and circled the battlefield.

"Don't worry the 1000 swords wont strike you at once, I will slay you personally!"

The two speed demons blurred into motion, great sparks of power flashing whenever they struck.

Suddenly Byakuya appeared in front of Ichigo, but before he could move somehow was behind him in an instant.

'What's going on?' he thought frantically, 'He's speeding up!'

A sword was stabbed through his foot. "Bakudo 4: white lightening!" an intense pain ripped itself through his chest throwing him back.

Shakily he got to his feet, then stopped. The world froze as his limbs locked themselves in place. 'I can't move!'

"You are at your limit boy. You may have been thinking, 'He has gotten faster,' when in reality it is you who have gotten slower."

Byakuya approached the teen and raised his sword high. "Goodbye Kurosaki Ichigo."

'No! Move damn you! NoNoNoNo! I have to beat him I came here to win, if I don't win nothing will change!'

'_Che. You're so weak partner.'_

Ichigo's eyes widened, 'Hichigo!'

Unbidden the teen's arm moved of its own accord and caught the sword in mid swing before it could cause any terminal damage.

'_Step down and let me show you how it's done!'_

Ichigo watched helplessly as his hollow took control of their body.

'Wait this is my fight!'

' _Gee partner why don't you let me help you?' _he could almost hear the smirk in those words. '_Don't you trust me?'_

That gave the orange haired teen pause. 'Yes, yes of course I do!'

The hollow's smirk was tangible in the air.

'_ Then trust me to kill him_.'

Hesitantly Ichigo nodded and watched.

+_+_

The 6th squad captain's eyes widened in shock as the teenager in front of him chuckled darkly, a bloody handholding his sword still.

"Who are you?"

Byakuya inadvertently flinched when the boy looked up at him, his eyes bleeding from brown to black and gold as a bone white striped mask formed on his face. The teen's hollow laughter redoubled.

"_Who am I? I'm the one who's going to kill you."_

The masked teen smirked and swung his black sword throwing the captain back and making a long wound appear on his chest.

"_Gee partner I cant believe you were worthless enough to be beaten by this guy"'_ Ichigo felt a twinge of annoyance. 'I'm right here you know.'

"_Che I know. Watch carefully now partner I'll show you how to use this sword correctly!"_

The hollow swung its arm releasing a black Getsuga at Byakuya.

'Wow!' Ichigo watched in partial awe and trepidation as the hollow proceeded to literally beat senseless an opponent who he himself could barely scratch.

It fired two black waves of destruction, this time moving quick enough to fire them from opposite directions.

" Th-that spiritual pressure.. and that mask….. are you a hollow?" the defeated captain gasped as blood spilled across his face.

The hollow laughed and raised his sword for the final strike. "_You don't need to know that, 'cause in a minute you'll be…_" The hollow broke off frowning, arm straining.

'Don't, he might be a bastard but he's still Rukia's brother! You can kill him!'

"_But _partner……" the hollow wined, "_You said I could…."_ He huffed annoyed and gritted his teeth. "_Fine, I wont kill him, happy now?"_ Ichigo nodded and retreated once again letting go control of his own arm.

The hollow looked down at Byakuya and smirked unpleasantly. "_I guess that means I get to play with my prey a little more!"_

Black energy swirled dangerously around the hollow and the thousand's of swords surrounding him were destroyed. "_Let's try and make this fun, I hardly ever get a chance to fight!"_

He charged at the man sword flashing dangerously.

Suddenly a voice sounded disturbing his mad charge.

"**Emergency! This is vice captain Kotetsu of the 4****th**** division speaking. Everything I'm about to say is absolutely true! Captain Aizen, thought dead, is actually alive and has disabled several captains and has taken vice captain Abari and Rukia Kukichi as hostages for unknown purposes!"**

Ichigo's heart skipped a beat when he felt, rather than saw several figures appear behind him. Hichigo sensing his agitation turned and saw a struggling Rukia being held aloft by the neck while Renji laid in a heap at his feat.

'We need to save her!'

The hollow nodded instantly dropping the corpse like, but still breathing Byakuya in a bloody heap.

The hollow smirked, "_Can I kill _them,_ partner?"_ Ichigo hesitated, then nodded. The hollow cackled in glee.

He ran into the fray sword training behind hungering for blood.

The man who was holding Rukia, the one with glasses, smirked and drew his sword.

Suddenly Hichigo screamed. Ichigo was forcibly pushed back into control.

He blinked disoriented and squinted through the narrow eyeholes of his partially formed mask.

'Hichigo what happened?' he didn't get an answer, instead the hollow's screams continued to reverberate in the empty city mindscape. Ichigo managed to make out,'_! Don't look at it!'_ before the hollow descended once again into pained madness caused apparently by that man's sword.

Ichigo immediately averted his gaze from the man.

The man's white haired smirking accomplice stepped in front of the teen.

"Don't worry Aizen-sama, I'll take care of this boy." Ichigo readied his blade wary. His eyes began to wander towards Rukia, but the hollow's words restrained him before he got a good look.

"Shoot to kill!" the fox faced man's sword shot towards the teen. Ichigo's eyes widened as he dodged it just in time. He blinked down at the crater that the short sword caused below him.

The man, Aizen ,smirked and pulled something from his coat all the while quietly talking to a petrified Rukai.

Ichigo's tried to leap towards them as white spikes sprouted from the ground surrounding them, but was blocked as his opponent. Gin, fired at him again.

"That's a mighty fine mask you've got there, "he said with a smirk.

Ichigo snarled and slashed his sword at him," Getsuga!" He noticed with distain that it was much smaller than the one his hollow had produced.

Dust filled the hill top. It cleared just in time for Ichigo to see Rukia collapse as Aizen tucked something small into his robes.

"Unfortunately my dear, you are no longer of use to me." He raised his sword. Ichigo's heart stopped.

"No!" he screamed putting every last ounce of his power into a shunpo. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed. Luckily He managed to get there in time to snatch Rukia from the blades of death but sustained a large gash across his back to remind him of his act of heroism.

He laid on the ground bleeding with Rukia huddled underneath him.

Shouting grew louder in the distance.

"Hm, it seems to be getting a bit too crowded here for my liking." Aizen said. Ichigo heard a sound like breaking glass as a portal opened above the traitors of soul society whisking them away to the deserts of Hueco Mundo.

Of course Ichigo didn't know where exactly they went, he was just relieved that they were gone. With a groan he stood, ignoring the pain in his back.

He looked down at Rukia, whose face was downcast shielding her expression. Smiling in relief at her safety the teen stretched out a hand. "Rukia are you ok?"

She scuttled away from him.

"Get away from me monster!" shocked Ichigo could only stare as Rukia looked up at his mask with fear and loathing permeating the air around her. A line of tears cascaded down from her wide eyes.

"Rukia, it's me It's Ichigo-"

"Liar!" she screamed, "Go away you monster, give Ichigo back to me!"

A haze of despair settled upon our young hero. "Rukia, but-"

"Hollow!' Rukia screamed, " A hollow has killed a shinigami!" Shinigami were arriving on the hill swords drawn all pointing at him.

"No, I'm not….." Ichigo trailed off as his worst fears came true.

More shouting accompanied Rukia's, but Ichigo didn't hear them.

A tear escaped from the mask only to fall into the dust below and be forgotten amongst the pools of gathering blood. His blood.

"I've got to get out of here," was the barely whispered statement before a dark hole appeared in the air behind the masked teen who let himself fall backwards into it.

+_+_+_+_+_=

as for Rukia's behavior ,think about Kaien. She's recently been through a lot of trauma with the whole Aizen thing, and ichigo turning into a hollow was the straw that crushed the camel.

ya my upload thing went on th fritz, so sorry about getting like 3 alerts

Omake

Byakuya was furious, a growl escaped him.

"I haven't shown this much expression in years, it's killing my cheek muscles!"

end


	7. Chapter 7

+_+_+_+_+_+_+!!!!!!!!!!

Ichigo lay in the sand blinking blearily up at the crescent moon above him.

After all the excitement of rescuing Rukia his memory got a little hazy, so it was a surprise when he found himself surrounded by a white desert.

The wound on his back twinged as he tried to sit up, bring with a flood of memories detailing how exactly he had gotten it and why exactly he had reason to not be in soul society.

He groaned, wanting nothing more than to flop back into the warm grainy white powder and forget that this whole mess ever happened, but he didn't. Instead he hauled himself into a sitting position and attempted to inspect his back, which was proving difficult to do as every time he tried to twist his head to get a look his back felt as if it was on fire.

At last he decided enough was enough and pulled the mangled remains of his shinigami uniform over his head leaving him wearing only black pants and bloody bandages.

He laid the shirt out in front of himself and inspected where he had gotten slashed.

The shirt was a poor thing, thanks to all the abuse Ichigo put it through, so it only had one sleeve on the right side and half the chest missing. It was littered with patches and sewn together rents, thanks to Yoruichi the multi talented cat, but still looked more patch than original shirt.

Ignoring the old damage done to his clothing Ichigo inspected the back where a new foot long tear had been added. It went from the right shoulder down the side nearly reaching the base of where the spine would be spine.

Deftly the teen reached behind him and felt the end of what would soon be a huge scar. He hissed when his fingers brushed it. He looked at his offending digits and was surprised.

"I should be bleeding from something like this right?"

'_You're in Hueco Mundo now partner.' _Ichigo jumped not expecting an answer least of all from his hollow.

'Oh so you're awake now? And what does being here have to do with my miraculous ability to not bleed to death?'

The hollow snorted, and continued on as if he was talking to someone who wasn't very bright.

'_Yes I'm awake! Whatever that shinigami's sword did to me it stopped as soon as he left. It was like my skin was frying and my eyes were going bling at the same time, '_he shuddered, '_Anyway, why do you think hollows live here? There's so much spiritual stuff in the air it can heal us.' _

Ichigo looked confused and the hollow sighed annoyed_._

'_Ok, when you're a spirit your form is made up of spiritual particles, everything is. Well in Hueco Mundo there's so much of it that hollows subconsciously can use it to heal themselves. We get stronger here_.'

The orange haired teen nodded slowly as he searched for a new roll of bandages among his ruined cloths to replace the ones he wore on his chest and arms.

He snorted as he remembered Yoruichi forcing nearly a box of the things upon him claiming he was bound to pick the wrong fight with his luck.

Ichigo winced as he carefully tugged at a particularly stubborn bandage clinging to his back with dried blood. All he could thing at the moment was how glad he was his father was a doctor.

+_+_+_+!!!!!!

"Ugg! I'm hungry!" The shout echoed through the seemingly empty endless sands scaring several small lizard like hollows into burry themselves under the sand.

Ichigo let out another frustrated moan as his stomach gave another lurch. He tried to remember when his last meal was. ' That Hanatarou guy gave me an energy bar thing… and Yoruichi got me breakfast… that was, three days ago?'

He groaned and collapsed sitting in the sand energy spent. The sky never changed here, so he couldn't begin to guess at how long it was since he had arrived in the white desert. He hadn't even seen anything other than some tiny lizards wearing hollow masks.

"For a world full of hollows this place is pretty empty, " he mused. His stomach gave an angry grumble.

Ichigo frowned down at his offending abdomen. "Stop being hungry damn it! What do you want me to do hu? Its not like I can leave and pick up some takeout or something, there's nothing to eat here but sand!"

'_That's not true partner! The Desert of Hueco Mundo is a bountiful cornucopia of goodness!'' _Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin, having forgotten about Hichigo in the midst of his depression.

Skeptically he looked across the white sand's expanse which even to his untrained eye looked unable to support life of any kind.

"You don't say."

The hollow looked offended at his sarcastic tone and rolled his eyes annoyed.

'_Do I have to spell everything out for you? Sheesh!'_

Now it was Ichigo's turn to look offended.

'_Look what do hollows eat?'_

Ichigo had a look on his face as if asking if Hichigo was stupid before answering matter-of-factly, "Souls, of course."

The hollow gave him a wide-eyed look as if the hint he was painstakingly giving was the size of Texas. '_And?'_

Ichigo looked nonplussed, "Uh, more souls?"

The hollow gave him a deadpanned look.

'_Hollows, you idiot. Hollows eat other hollows.'_

Ichigo blinked wondering where this was going, "Oh, um ,ok…"

Hichigo sighed exasperatedly at Ichigo still apparently demonstrating how thick a teenager's head can be (ouch I find that offending!) and said in a forced calm voice bleeding with exasperation, '_If hollows eat other hollows, what does that mean for you being what you are?'_

Ichigo blinked a blank expression on his face as he finally got it.

"Oh."

Then the implications of what his hollow was saying caught up to his brain and hit him over the head with the force of an overly sized mallet wielded by an angry Tatsuki. The effect was that Ichigo's face adopted a look of intense horror as he leapt to his feat spraying sand everywhere.

"What! I'm not going to eat hollows! That would make me-"

' _What more like a hollow?' _Hichigo sharply cut him off. An evil smirk wormed its way onto the white figure's face. '_Look it's either this or you die of starvation, or something you can't handle comes and eats you while you're weak. Well weaker than usual that is,' _he amended.

Ichigo's stomach chose that moment to let out a painful gurgle. The teen twisted in discomfort and flopped back into the sand fist balled.

A movement caught his attention a the corner of his eye end his hand shot out catching one of the tiny hollow lizards. It writhed in his hand and tried to bite as he brought it closer to his face.

'_So partner what's it going to be?'_

Ichigo glared. "Shut up."

+_+_+_+_+_!!!!1!

Blood filled the air in a graceful arch. A bloody orange haired teenager wielding an equally blood stained sword frowned and wiped a trail of it from the corner of his mouth disgusted.

Oh, he had eaten that lizard all right, and had even gotten a slight reprieve from his hunger…… for about a second anyway.

His hollow had gleefully informed him that because of his high spiritual strength he needed to eat hollows of equal strength if he wished to feel satisfied. That led our hero here, to the Gillian forest, where he took a bite out of every hollow he could all the while trying not to get bit back. He only had to take one bite, thank goodness, before the hollows would vanish.

He soon realized that even though these gave his stomach some comfort, he was soon even hungrier than before. He had tried asking Hichigo about it but the hollow just laughed.

Ichigo spat a mouthful of blood on the sand and grimaced. He might have to eat hollows to survive, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy it. He spat again wishing for mouthwash to get the acrid taste out of his mouth. Hollows tasted disgusting, no doubt about it.

He swung Zangetsu over his shoulder and walked towards his makeshift shelter beneath one of the stone like trees. It wasn't anything really, just a familiar landmark he'd clung to, desperately seeking something stable amidst the chaos of Hueco Mundo.

'_Gee partner so wasteful, didn't you enjoy your meal? ' _Ichigo snarled at the hollow. "Shut up."

'O_h so cold! By the way come in here for a minute, I need to tell you something.'_

"What?" the teen had already settled himself down in meditative position, sword across his knees.

'_Oh, you'll see!'_

Ichigo rolled his eyes before closing them. He had found out that if given an invitation he could easily appear into his inner sideways city with a little concentration.

He did so now and opened his eyes to see his albino twin grinning with black teeth glinting.

"So what do you want?"

A white sword found its way to the shinigami's throat, its hilt held loosely in the hollow's hand.

"_Isn't it obvious? I want to kill you of course!"_

+_+_+_+_+_+!!!!!!!!

Oh noes who will save ichi from himself!!!

I know I'm evil for doing a cliffie =^^=

This omake has been bothering me for a while, so enjoy!

Omake

A white sword found its way to the shinigami's throat, its hilt held loosely in the hollow's hand.

A maniacal grin threatened to split his white face.

"_There can only be one Highlander!"_

End


	8. Chapter 8

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+-----!!!!_

_Last time on Different Meeting……._

"So what do you want?"

A white sword found its way to the shinigami's throat, its hilt held loosely in the hollow's hand.

"_Isn't it obvious? I want to kill you of course!"_

_!!!!!!!!!+_+_+_+_

Instinctively Ichigo leapt away from the hollow's sword, even as his mind went mercifully blank.

"Wait, what? Why do you want to kill me?" He had to dodge to the side as Hichigo lunged at him again, black smile spreading further across his face.

"_Why? Why? Isn't it obvious?"_ he struck closer this time drawing a line of blood from the teen's cheek.

"_Hollows follow the strongest, and you're not anymore! It's about time I was the king instead of the horse carrying you_!"

Ichigo shook his head, brow furrowed, and eyes disbelieving. "Where's old man Zangetsu? What does he have to say about this?"

The hollow laughed again, this time shattering one of the buildings when his target managed to dodge.

"_Oh, him? You're the one who got rid of him, _partner!" Ichigo winced at the way the hollow had mockingly said 'partner' wondering how he couldn't have noticed it before.

"What are you talking about?" another window to his left, where he had just been a second ago, exploded into shards of glass.

The hollow chuckled and held his sword across his shoulder as he stopped his onslaught to reply. "_That old fool tried to warn you about me, but you didn't listen. You told him that I was your _friend, _that you trusted me more than you did him." _His chuckles intensified, "_You abandoned your sword and relied on me. Now with him gone I became the strongest one." _

His laughter stopped and a frown took its place. "_Then I realized that with you still here I still wasn't king of this world even though I deserved to be." _An insane grin split his chalk white face, sending chill up Ichigo's spine.

"_And I refuse to follow a king I'm stronger than!"_

He charged the teen, and Ichigo was forced to draw his own grey sword to parry. Two giant cleavers, one grey one white pushed against each other fighting for dominance.

"Why? I thought we were friends?" Ichigo looked desperately at his twin through the crossed blades; mind not wanting to believe this betrayal was happening.

The hollow laughed, _"Friends? Ha! I just needed you to trust me so I could get rid of that old man. Remember Ichigo, he and I are opposites. A zanpakuto shows its shinigami loyalty immediately; they can't lie, can't deceive, can't kill their shinigami. So what does that mean for me?"_

Their swords broke apart, the force sending Ichigo crashing into another building. He sat there gasping, eyes lost and confused. Hichigo smirked and walked towards the defeated teen, blade dragging and making a horrific screeching sound along the ground.

"_You don't deserve to be king anymore, so do me a favor and die quietly. You're too weak to put up a fun fight."_

The hollow raised is sword above his head with a flourish ready to bring it down upon the defeated teen when suddenly-!

+_+!!!

'**Ichigo!'**

Said orange haired boy blinked blearily. 'Zangetsu?' He looked around and was surprised to find himself unharmed. 'No….Kenpachi? Why are you here?' A sword whizzing by his ear was his only response.

'_Why is it that everyone I meet wants to kill me?_' ran through his mind.

Out loud he yelled, ' Kenpachi what are you doing our fight is over!'

The crazed maniac laughed and swung his sword again.

' **Do you need a reason to fight?'**

A stunned expression was all the teen could muster as an answer. 'Hu?'

'**Your instinct is to endlessly seek battle in order to get stronger! If you want to acquire the strength to rule cut down your enemies! In the end your only path is to FIGHT!'**

+_+!!!!

!-Ichigo caught the white sword in his hand.

The white metal stained dark grey where his fist clutched it. The color writhed and spread up over the hilt, burning the white hollow's sleeve a light black to his wide-eyed horror.

Instinctively he released the blade and backed away from the bloody teen, eyes wide.

Ichigo stood clutching the dark grey sword in his fist glaring at his other with hard eyes that seemed to glow blue with a long forgotten power.

Demonstrating a degree of dexterity previously unknown to him the orange haired teen spun the monstrous blade around his fingers till his hand grasped the cloth wrapped handle.

The fighter's eyes met for a moment before the darker one lunged, spearing his white twin on the end of his blade. The same grey that had covered the sword began to crawl and eat away at the once white hollow destroying his form as it vanished on the winds.

"_Che, it seems like you still had some will to fight."_

Ichigo didn't answer, instead opting to glare dispassionately at his betrayer. The hollow smiled and glared back almost as if he was amused at having lost some grand game.

"_You got me, I guess there's nothing I can do. For now I'll admit you're king."_ His smirk grew more malicious. "_But if you show weakness for even a moment, you'll be the one who's stuck listening to me!"_

Hichigo's form was nearly gone now all that was left was his smirking face. "_Here's some advice before I go, don't die until I talk to you again, and I assure you that time will be soon…..!"_

Very suddenly Ichigo found himself once again on his back in the deserts of Hueco Mundo staring up into the endless black sky.

He groaned and struggled into a sitting position. He felt something slide off his face into his lap and glanced down to see a white striped mask, Hichigo's mask, grinning up at him with skull like teeth.

He shuddered as he recalled his hollow's words. Never he less he held onto the skull mask with bloody white fingers. The blue light burned once again in his eyes, "Sorry, "he said softly, "but I'm the king."

---------

Groggily he stood and looked around himself, for the first time noticing that he wasn't in the menos forest any more. His feet shuffled through what appeared to be white bone with read markings that littered the desert around him. He found his sword, still a stubborn grey, sitting somewhere in the sand nearby.

He was just considering collapsing in the sand's white embrace right they're for a nap, regardless of the dangers of being out in the open, when frantic shouts and screaming disturbed the wind blown silence around him.

"YAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

He turned surprised to see what appeared to be a little child dressed in rags being chased by a giant worm and two vaguely human shaped hollows.

They were running towards him, and getting closer at an alarming rate.

Without stopping to think about why exactly there was a non-hollow spirit wondering around the world of hollows, he put the white mask on the side of his head where it stayed ,stuck by some invisible force and readied his sword.

The child ran past him huffing from fatigue. In an instant he swung his sword like a bat and hit the larger of the two human like hollows with the blunted edge, succeeding in knocking him off his feet. His fist met the face of the hollow that resembled a beetle and he was about to hit the strange worm when the child yelled, "Hey quit it!"

Ichigo turned away from the cowering hollows to look at the kid who had pulled away the cloth, which had been previously obscuring its face.

"What did we ever do to you? Quit being mean!" the orange haired teen blinked bemusedly at the scull like mask with a crack down the center that happily sat balanced on top of the child's head.

"You're a hollow." Ichigo said in such a way that the statement sounded like a question.

"Of course Nel is a hollow, Nel is the arrancar Nel Tu!"

The teen glanced over his shoulder at the three other hollows. "Why were they chasing you? Were they trying to eat you?" He had taken a liking to this child like hollow, if only for the small reason that she looked like a human in a world of monsters.

"What no!" Nel looked appalled at the very thought, "We were playing our made up game of endless tag!"

Ichigo blinked again as his mind caught up to the present, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and examined the group more closely as Nel ran over to them.

They had apparently over heard Nel's short chat with Ichigo and after a hurried conversation they rushed towards him again, this time for introductions. All but Nel seemed unnecessarily wary of the teen and kept eying him distrustfully.

The beetle spoke first as Nel's older brother, Pesshe, next the larger one covered in spots introduced himself as Dondochakka. "And this is our pet Bawabawa!"

Ichigo looked on and asked baffled, "Can hollows have families?"

Nel looked offended, " Of course we can, we're not just hollows we're arrancar!"

" Actually we met her by chance and she was just so cute I had to become her brother!" Don and Pesshe guiltily admitted.

"Oh." Memories of his own dysfunctional family threatened to drown the orange haired boy, so in an effort to dissuade his thoughts he asked, " Arrancar, you've said that before, what is it, another type of hollow?"

They looked shocked. "How could you not know? Aren't you an arrancar too?"

Ichigo shrugged, "I don't think I am."

Don and Peche looked relieved, or at least less likely to run away in fear, while Nel leapt at Ichigo knocking his tired form into the sand intent on teaching him all about hollows.

"An arrancar is a hollow who took off his mask and looks human and got lots stronger! See? Like me! Are you sure you're not an arrancar, you look like one and you've even got a mask and everything!"

Ichigo's head spun at the fast pace of Nel's chatter. Still he shook it and dislodged her from her perch on his chest as he sat up. "No I don't think I'm an arrancar I'm …something else."

"Oh!" luckily she didn't pry any further.

Pesshe called out, "Nel we should be going, it's dangerous to hang out above the menos forest, too many strong hollows!" he shuddered in fear.

Nel clutched the front of Ichigo's cloths and cried, "But I don' wanna leave my new friend!"

The beetle like hollow looked prepared to argue back, only at that moment the sand exploded upwards expelling a multitude on menos grande led by a bird like hollow with an ugly mask cracked open top reveal evil squinty human eyes alight with unholy delight.

"Oh here I was looking for a snack, when I felt something interesting up here! Now look what I found, a nice juicy worm, two beetles, and two arrancar bugs! It must be my lucky day!" the hollow swooped down, and Ichigo acted on reflex grabbing Nel to his chest and diving to the right to avoid sharp claws.

Don and Pesshe weren't so lucky and were buried under the sand before the menos descended on them.

The bird arrancar laughed, "You can have the insects the arrancar are my dinner!"

Ichigo growled and tightened his grip on his blade. He was tired, he had just finished fighting his one thought friend in a battle of life or death, he was stuck with a family of noisy hollows, and now this buzzard just thought he was gonna eat him? And as a snack? he growled, he would at least be a full meal!

Scowl firmly in place Ichigo placed Nel on his shoulder. She scrambled for a perch on his back, hanging onto his shirt and peaking over his shoulder with wider eyes, unknowingly mirroring a certain 11th division vice captain.

With both hands now free Ichigo hefted his sword and glared so fiercely at the arrancar above him that it flinched.

"I've had a very, very bad day, and now I'm taking a portion of my frustration out on you. You would have my condolences, if I had any."

He slashed at the air - "Getsuga Tenshou!" – and completely incinerated not only the arrancar, but its army of menos grande as well.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+!!!!!!!!

Sorry it took so long to update, I've had exams, actually I'm only updating now because there was a blizzard last night and we have a snow day.

So, ichi's finally met nel, I'm so happy!

Did anyone catch the Yachiru reference I put in?

oh ya hichi will come back, mabe zangetsu too, i havent decided yet....

**A/N : (vote) oh i have this idea where ichi infiltrates las noches pretending to be an arrancar, how manny people would want that?** i want like 10 votes before i consider it, cuz i have an outline that works if this doesn't happen too.


	9. Chapter 9

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

Ichigo walked aimlessly through the white sand ,a scowl fixed firmly on his face. Usually one would not concern themselves with him scowling, it is one of his standard expressions, but in this rare instance he actually had a reason to put forth that expression of annoyance.

"YAAAAAA!!!"

…and here came that reason now.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and stretched out a hand in time to catch Nel by her mask as she attempted to run past him again.

He shifted his grip and lifted her till they're eyes met. "Nel, I thought I told you that I wasn't playing endless tag with you?"

By this time Don, Pesshe, and Bawabawa had caught up to them and were watching quietly.

The green haired little girl laughed sheepishly. "But Ithi it's fun!"

Ichigo sighed exasperatedly, he was already used to her lisp after she had taken to following him ever since he had 'saved her' from the arrancar some time before.

He glared past her to her entourage. "Why are you following me anyway?"

Pesshe struck a rediculus pose that wouldn't have looked out of place on a Saturday morning cartoon hero. "You're strong!"

The next minute Ichigo's fist had a meeting with the hollows head which almost immediately after got very well acquainted with the ground.

"WAAA! Why'd you do that?" Nel cried as Don helped Pesshe up.

"He annoyed me." That wasn't entirely true, it was that his father acted too much like the hollow for Ichigo to not be reminded of him.

"But Ichigo-sama, he was telling the truth. Hollows always follow the strongest, and since Nel likes you we'll follow you."

Speaking of Nel, she had by this time wriggled her way out of Ichigo's hold and maneuvered herself to sit comfortably on his shoulder. This was another quirk of her's that Ichigo had unknowingly forced himself to become used to.

Ichigo sighed again and rubbed his head, disturbing his mask so it slid closer to his face.

He wondered why he put up with these hollows ,and then remembered how he felt before they had come along.

Solitude disturbed only by the non existent desert winds, waiting for his next meal, hoping that one day something would change…. Well it did change.

His one friend had tried to kill him, and then he got landed with these oddities of Hueco Mundo.

A small smile cracked his frown as he continued walking, hollows in tow, to nowhere.

He hadn't been very hungry since he had… killed his hollow, and Ichigo was beginning to think the gut wrenching hunger had been its fault in the first place.

Sure he had to get a snack now and then ,but not every day. Nel and the others had to eat sometimes too, and when Ichigo eventually realized this he always tried to bring something back, as gruesome as that sounded.

The little family was becoming important to him, despite what he said to the contrary, but a dark cloud still weighed heavily on the teen.

It wasn't until long after having met Nel that Ichigo recognized his depression as homesickness.

He made a valiant effort to ignore it but Ichigo deep down was a very caring and soft guy. His family friends and home were the things he would defend at the cost of his own life, but in this case visiting them might just cost him that much.

He weighed the pros and cons of leaving Hueco Mundo , and even though the cons out won the pros he was determine to go.

Now the only problem was figuring out how to make one of those special dimension rip things….

The group was resting and Ichigo had wandered off to experiment with an idea he had.

At the moment he was focusing his power into his hands and imagining one of the portals he saw those other hollows leave through is soul society, but all that achieved was several miles of sand being blasted apart in a display of red light.

"Ok, so cool, new attack ,but no portal!" Ichigo groaned and flopped back into the sand.

"Ithigo!"

It was through hard won reflexes that Ichigo managed to catch the little arrancar before she could land and bounce happily on his stomach. She blinked bemused at being caught and smiled widely.

"Ithy what ya doin' ?"

Ichigo placed her gently in the sand beside himself and sat up before answering.

"I want to visit the human world for a while, but I cant figure out how to get there."

Nel was silent. Concerned Ichigo glanced over to find her holding back tears.

"What?"

As if that word was a catalyst she burst out crying and buried her face in the remains of his black shirt. "Ithigo, Ithigo, are you leaving us? Don't you like us? Why do you want to go to the human world, there are monster shinigami there and they'll kill you! Why abandon us?"

Frantically Ichigo tried to comfort the crying child, "Nel, calm down! I'm not abandoning you!"

She sniffed, "R-really?"

"Really!"

"Oh, ok!" all traces of tears were gone, leaving Ichigo to sigh in relief. He had yet to get used to her violent mood swings.

Nel scrunched her face in a confused expression and crossed her arms , " Well why do you want to go there?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head, "Well I want to go see my family…"

"REALLY? Ithigo has got a family? And they're n the human world, and you cant see them? That's so sad!!" she started crying again, and Ichigo was at a loss of what to do.

Luckily before he had the chance to even speak Nel had perked up with a bright smile on her face.

"Nel's got a great idea! Nel will teach Ithigo how to go to the human world so he can visit his family!"

"Uh, thanks Nel."

And that Began Ichigo's disastrous night long 'lesson' with Nel Tu. See she couldn't actually open a portal herself ,but did know, she claimed anyway, 'what it felt like'.

Somehow between her cries of , "no its's a urg, not waa!" , and "you gotta feel like youre going there!" he managed to open a sickly looking black portal. He was exausted ,panting and covered in sweat, so it only stayed open for less than a minute.

Luckily that minute was enough time for him to jump through it into the moonlight streets of Kakura town with Nel frantically waving goodby before the Portal closed Ichigo was left alone again.

+_+_+_+_

He didn't remember falling asleep, but he did remember waking up to a sunrise. It was the most beautiful sight he ever beheld.

Unfortunately months of being in the dark had made his eyes unable to stand so much sunlight at once, so he ended up stealing a pair of sunglasses from a nearby shop.

Unfortunately again, a pair of floating sunglasses attracts a lot of unwanted attention, so he was soon forced to abandon them in favor of pulling his mask onto his face and squinting at the world from behind its shady eye slits.

Having solved his temporary light blindness Ichigo set off for his house, intent on seeing his family before he was forced to flee once again into the white desert.

He leapt onto his roof and crept through his own open bedroom window.

"I bet they think I'm dead, "he mused sadly as he stared around the unused room. It was exactly as he had left it. He ran a hand over the desk to find it dust free, Yuzu's doing probably, before quietly pushing open the door and exiting into the hall.

"Good morning Ichi-nii!" Ichigo jumped and spun around to see his littlest sister at the other end of the hall.

"Uh, Yuzu, I can explain! I-" but she wasn't listening. Instead she was entering one of the rooms kept for patients of the clinic that they lived in.

"Yuzu?" he followed her into the room and saw… himself.

It was his body hooked up to a bunch of machines, a heart monitor going strong.

"Ichi-ni, I wish you'd wake up from your coma. Were all worried." Yuzu cried softly as she puttered about the room checking screens and cleaning the already spotless floor.

Ichigo left. He had seen enough.

+_+_+_+_

He sat ontop of his house and watched people walk along the street.

"It's weird seeing yourself in a coma", he decided, " because at least with me dead no one expects me to come back, but like this… I just can't bear to see my family like this."

He watched the sun proclaim noon and stood up.

"Maybe I can check up on everyone at school… I'm pretty sure I can hide from Ishida, and Chad, and …everyone else…."

He turned towards his old high school and was about to jump off the roof when something from out of the sky shot towards him.

Months of surprise attacks by hollows had sharpended the teens reactions so that he drew his sword first and asked questions later.

His giant grey sword screeched as it met metal then pushed back, throwing the offending sword high into the air.

Ichigo blinked through the eyes of his mask up at the grinning blonde attached to the sword he had just thrown.

'Shit, it's a shinigami,' he thought. He looked odd for a shinigami, especially since he wasn't wearing the traditional uniform. Instead he wore something like what Ichigo's school had the students wear.

The stranger spoke.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you better come with me."

Ichigo snorted," Like hell I will. I'm not just going to let soul society kill me without a fight!"

Here he threw his sword by the ribbon at the figure who lazily dodged to the side.

"Oh, we're not with soul society. You can call us the vizards."

Ichigo felt someone else appear behind him, but before he could turn something hit the tp of his mask leaving him in darkness.

+_+_+_+_+_+---

sorry for the late update, I've had school and been sick

yay finally introducing the viazards!

Poll closed, I'm probably not going to do it, sorry!

It was a rabid plot bunny, but I've got the story planned somewhat now.


	10. Chapter 10

+_+_+--------

"….lucky Soul Society didn't get him first…."

Ichigo groaned. His head hurt.

"Well…nearly lost ….. become a full hollow!"

Not the normal thinking too hard hurt, or even the 'ouch I shouldn't have run headlong into that brick wall' hurt; no this pain threatening to split his head was much worst.

"Don't worry… hollow repellant."

Through the haze of pain he noticed that his hands were bound behind his back. He vainly wriggled his fingers testing how sturdy the knots were. Damn, the person who tied them must have been a boy scout.

"…have to fight …barrier ….eight minutes each."

Thumping sounds approached, and Ichigo was mostly certain that it wasn't the pounding in his head making them.

A loud slap followed by some indistinguishable high-pitched shouting and a cry of pain, then the footsteps stopped.

He blindly turned his face to the sounds. They were close, maybe even right outside his door.

"Hey, that hurt! Look Hiyori it's the only way, he's already been partially taken over by his hollow! Didn't you see him go after his family back there? And according to our sources in Soul Society he nearly killed a captain before escaping to Hueco Mundo! We have to do this now before he really does go full hollow. We're just lucky he hasn't yet."

The door was thrown open spilling forth a wave of light. Even through his closed eyelids the brightness burned. Ichigo reflexively curled up trying to shield his face, but as his hands were tied up it didn't really work.

"Shit, he's awake!"

The voice came closer, as Ichigo tried to squirm away. He felt a hand on his face, then the world fell into merciful blackness once again.

"Hiyori, have Hachi put up a double dislocation barrier, we can't afford to waste any more time."

+____+__+_---

Someone was poking him.

"Hey are you alive in there?"

Well, to be more accurate, someone was kicking him rather painfully between his ribs and his stomach.

Blearily Ichigo shoved aside the offending foot and sat up, one hand supporting his head, in which his migraine was thankfully lessening, and the other keeping his body upright.

"Gee, don't have to be so pushy! I was just checking to see if you were all right! Sheesh, last time I do that!"

The carrot topped teen cracked open his eyes, and surveyed a landscape of blue cloudy skies swirling with rain.

It took a moment for his brain to find what was wrong with this picture,

'Wait clouds are generally…up… right?'

He craned his head back and saw a field of skyscrapers that disappeared far above him.

He blinked slowly several times. This was important he knew it…he just couldn't place exactly why.

A white face with sunken black eyes leaned over him.

"Hichigo!" Ichigo threw himself away from the white hollow, who wore a bemused expression on its face as it straightened up.

"_Good to see ya too, King."_

The teen frantically searched the buildings around him for his sword, while the hollow stood off to the side watching him curiously.

Finally at length he said, "_What _are_ you doing?"_

Not abandoning his fruitless search the teen answered, "I'm trying to find Zangetsu! 'Cuz you're here and you tried to kill me, and I killed you so now you want revenge, and here I am without a weapon, and…."

By this point the hollow began inspecting his black nails, arms folded, clearly uninterested in the crazed teen's ramblings.

At length Ichigo realized that he was still unharmed, despite Hichigo standing right behind him, so he turned to him and blinked a couple of times clearly befuddled.

"Um, aren't you going to try and kill me or something?"

The hollow looked at him over his nails, polished the black digits on his white robes, then made a great show of pulling out a day planar (from where Ichigo had no idea) flipping through a couple pages, sighing, and saying, "So sorry, not this time, but I may be able to squeeze you in some time next week."

Ichigo just stared at him.

Hichigo obviously took his silence as something other than sheer confusion, as he tossed the planar over the side of the building and folded his arms across his chest pouting.

"_Look are you still angry about the whole trying to kill you thing? I don't see you angry at that rusty sword! Was it because he asked permission before he tried to kill you?"_

This question was apparently meant to be answered as the hollow was looking expectantly at Ichigo for an answer.

The teen was at this moment thoroughly confused.

"Um, what? When did Zangetsu try and kill me?"

Hichigo let lose a loud growl that could have been related to a sigh, and raised his eyes to the heavens praying for patience.

At last he took a calming breath and said in forced calm, "Ok, let's start at the beginning. How did you get your shikai?"

Ichigo's expression remained stuck somewhere between 'is he stupid' and 'am I going crazy' when he answered, "Um, I was fighting Urahara and I called Zangetsu's name."

"_Yes you were in need of help and he _gave _you his power without a fight. Good, now how did you get bankai?"_

"Yoruichi had this doll thing, and we fought…" a look of dawning crossed the teen's face.

Hichigo clapped in mock applause, "_So you understand now?"_

Ichigo nodded hesitantly, "So since I fought you for your shikai, you'll give me you're bankai?"

The hollow sighed again, "_Almost, but not quite there. However since I can see all your tiny brain cells working past their limit to find the answer, I'll take pity on you and explain it to you in terms you can understand."_

He cleared his throat importantly.

"_Alright, like you so eloquently put it I will '_give you my bankai'_ but only when I choose to, and the way things are going it won't be for a while so don't get your hopes up. As to what I was talking about while trying to kill you, think of the relationship between a shinigami and its zanpakuto. It's a partner based relationship, so for the rare case of a shinigami with a hollow it would be a hierarchy based one." _

He adopted a thoughtful look on his face, "_Well for all hollows actually. Hierarchy's of power are the only thing they listen to."_

He shook himself from his train of thought before it ran over some poor damsel in distress tied to the tracks and continued.

"_Well, anyway, so now you're the king here and I'll give you my power till I decide to test you again to make sure that you haven't gone soft. Zangetsu was being a real bitch about this whole thing, kept saying that you shouldn't trust me or take my power."_

He scoffed_, "He was just angry because I was totally ok with you getting his bankai. The more power the merrier I say! But he had to go sight some arcane rule about limiting a shinigami's power till they were more responsible or something…."_

He trailed off into dark mutterings.

Ichigo meanwhile decided that to preserve his remaining sanity ( or at least what he had so far been able to pass off as sanity) moved his mind away from the complexities of his inner world and into the outer one.

"So Hichigo, who're these guys who caught me?"

The hollow looked up from his mutterings and shrugged, "_Dunno, they look like shinigami, maybe they're with soul society?"_

The teen shook his head, "No, if they were I think we'd be dead right now."

He shook his head, "Right, I don't care who they are, all I know is we've got to get away before those shinigami realize we're here. I was stupid to come here in the first place, my family…" he trailed off looking lost.

The hollow smiled teasingly. "Well king, where will we run to? Back to the desert?"

Ichigo smirked matching his white twin's," Where else?"

+_+_+_+_+____++++

Ichigo gasped, something heavy was crushing his back into the dirt below him. He flailed his limbs trying to push himself up, but the …towers, there was no better description, wouldn't budge.

'I could use a little help here!'

'_Just call out my mask and shatter those things, stupid. I cant open up a portal here for some reason, It's like there's a barrier or something, so we have to get out of here before we escape.'_

Ichigo nodded and concentrated on his mask, which soon appeared on his face.

Grinning, the skull masked boy stood, pillars turning to dust behind him. He could see a strange orange dome surrounding him. It flickered with power, then a door seemed to open in it and one of the shinigami stepped through.

A woman with glasses stepped through muttering something about being 'offed'.

"Pleased to meet you, " she said, not sounding very pleased at all, "I'm Lisa Yadoumaru."

+_+_+_+_+_+_____

sorry for the late update. I hate school, it kills my motivation for useless creativity.

Now things get interesting.

With luck next chapter hell be back in hueco mundo.

Ja ne!


	11. Chapter 11

+_+_+--

"_Pleased to meet you I'm Lisa Yadomaru."_

The woman was wearing what Ichigo could best describe as a school uniform complete with thick rimed glasses and knee high socks. Despite her unorthodox fighting apparel this Lisa person easily drew her sword from it's sheath with a satisfying sound and held it ready in front of herself.

The doorway had closed immediately behind her, leaving Ichigo still trapped inside.

He stared at her from behind his mask. She stared back clearly bored, yet attentive to his every move like a wary predator.

The teen's eyes darted around searching for something, a way out, anything really.

"_No good King, you'll have to rip your way past her and the others before we can high tale it out of here." _The hollow sounded maliciously gleeful at this prospect and Ichigo's mind was suddenly filled with images of blood and gore.

Holding back a gag he mentally shook his head. 'Um, let's make that a last resort. Maybe I could talk to them-'

"_Aw King, that's so boring! And what makes you think they would even listen to you in the first place? They're trying to kill us!"_

Ichigo cracked a wide smile that went unnoticed by the wary woman standing impatiently in front of him. He flexed his hands into fists causing a series of very unpleasant sounds correlating with joints popping.

'I never said I was going to talk without leverage.'

The hollow had apparently caught onto his train of thought. It grinned evilly too. _"Oh, hostage situation! Let's get to it then!"_

The masked teen leapt empty fists swinging. Lisa, who had been preparing for just that moment, easily parried his strikes with her sword. He tried to punch her face, but she caught him and threw him bodily over her shoulder and flat on his back.

'This isn't going as well as I'd hoped it would.' Ichigo shook his dazed head free of stars just in time to roll away from the woman's sword, which would have had an overly friendly meeting with his face had he not, but now had to contend with the newly formed crater beneath it.

As his attempt to kick her legs out from under her was thwarted by her leaping into the air and landing a heavy foot on his face, he thought angrily, 'I can't beat her like this, I don't even have Zangetsu!'

"_Well when you can't beat someone fairly do it the other way!"_

Ichigo frowned and dodged a swipe for his head, 'You mean cheat?'

"_Were you born yesterday? Of course that's what I mean!"_

'And pray tell how I would cheat in a situation such as this?' One close swing cut lose a strand or two of orange hair.

"_Well-"_

'I'm not going to eat her, that's disgusting.'

"…_what about that cero thing you used in Hueco Mundo? Think you could manage it again?"_

Without giving an answer the teen leapt away to gain some distance and focused his power into the tips of his fingers. He thought he nearly had it when the orange dome's doorway opened again expelling a man with a dagger, tank top, and short white hair, who immediately ran up and elbowed him in the face giving Lisa enough time to escape before the door closed again.

"Call me Kense, nice to meet you."

He retracted his elbow from the teen's mask and landed on the ground in a ready stance.

Ichigo stood still, partly from the pain of having his spiritual nose almost shattered, and partly from the increasingly fast thoughts organizing themselves into a plan in his mind.

'You saw Zangetsu out there too, didn't you?' his eyes lingered to where the door had closed of the sight of his grey sword.

The hollow nodded. "_You just keep fightin' and I'll handle getting our sword back."_

Ichigo nodded and faced his newest opponent.

'I just have to keep this up till they open the door again, gotta stall for time.'

The teen stood still watching, waiting, and enjoying the growing look of frustration forming on Kense's face.

Ichigo heard voices muffled by the barrier shouting things like," What's he doing?" "Kense what's going on?" The man shook his head, eyes never leaving his still opponent.

Ichigo deciding that doing nothing was getting him nowhere fast, took a running jump at the shinigami fists ready for a downwards strike at his head, missed his target spectacularly, and created another crater in the stone floor.

'Didn't know I could do that.' Ichigo thought amused as the dust around him settled, revealing his stunned opponent, whose temple was bleeding from flying rock of debris.

Ichigo's wide smirk was back in place as he crawled from the hole and engaged himself in a game of punch tag, made even more deadly with his monstrous strength.

Much sooner than he expected he saw another person through the orange box dome preparing to switch places with Kense. The door opened and the dagger wielding man leapt back.

"_King, call Zangetsu!"_

Without question Ichigo threw out his hand mentally calling,'Zangetsu help!' The giant cleaver rattled in the dirt then practically flew past the rapidly closing barrier, nearly beheading Kense, and with a satisfying smack landed in its owner's hand.

It was with apprehension that the newest (and hopefully, thought Ichigo, last) opponent faced him.

The man had an afro, sunglasses, and wore what wouldn't look out of place at a gym.

Ichigo chuckled as he felt the comforting weight of his sword in his hand.

"Let's end this quickly." He held the sword in front of himself and felt the grey ribbon wrap itself around his arm. "Bankai."

------

To the people outside the barrier it looked as if the world exploded. When the dust finally cleared they could see their friend, Love, held captive with a long thin black sword held ready at his neck.

The teen holding the sword said something quietly to Love, whose face grew pale and sweaty.

Next his eyes turned to the audience to whom he shouted in the deadly calm voice of one in control, "Let me out of here, or I will kill your friend."

The Vizards froze. All eyes turned to their leader Shinji, whose face looked worried.

Seeming to think that he was not heard their captive, much to their astonishment, pushed aside his mask revealing a scowling face. "I said let me out! I'm not just going to sit here and let myself be killed by a bunch of Soul Society's lackeys!"

Shinji blinked, and a look of dawning grew on his face. He motioned for Hacchi to open a door and calmly entered the barrier.

"I believe that there has been something of a misunderstanding between us," he tried not to flinch at the glare sent his way by the teen. "We are not apart of Soul Society, and we are not planning on killing you. Now if you promise not to behead my friend here we will let you go, provided that you listen to what we have to say."

The orange haired boy seemed to have an internal debate, then, "Alright."

Shinji nodded to Hacchi, and Ichigo released Love as the barrier around them fell.

The blond grinned widely and clapped his hands together.

"Let's talk over some lunch!"

He yelped as the sandal Hiyori threw at his head left a big red mark on his face.

+_+_==--

"So let me get this strait," said Ichigo over his fifth helping of curry, "You guys are called vizards, " nod, "which are shinigami with hollow powers, "another nod, " and you aren't allied with soul society?"

Shinji shrugged, "Well not directly allied."

"And you only caught me cuz you thought I was a hollow?"

Shinji sighed, "Well we didn't know that you had already killed your hollow, so sorry."

Ichigo shrugged uncaring and busied his utensils with his plate, secretly overjoyed to be eating some real food.

"So what about you?" asked Hiyori suspiciously " We lost track of you when you went to rescue that Kukichi girl."

Ichigo's fast paced eating slowed to a stop and he looked pensively into his plate.

"_I wouldn't tell them everything if I were you."_

'If you were me we'd all be dead, but I agree.'

To the expectant Vizards he said, "Well soul society tried to kill me when they realized I was part hollow, and I've been hiding out in… well I've been hiding ever since, till I came here."

She wasn't satisfied and opened her mouth to ask something more, but was interrupted when someone shouting down to them.

"Hellooooooooo! Kurosaki- kun long time no see!"

A prickle of fear shot down the teen's spine as he looked over his plate to confirm who the unexpected visitor was.

"Sandal-Hat! What are you doing here?"

Yes, it was Urahara in all his striped hat and wooded shoed glory. He had a paper fan in his hand, and was currently hiding behind it while an annoyed Hyori yelled at him.

"Who said you could come in here uninvited, Urahara?" her eyes blazed and her shoe was clutched threateningly in her hand.

Big puppy-dog eyes looked at her pleadingly over the fan. "I just heard from Shinji that Kurosaki was back, and wanted to tell him what was going on. Please don't hurt me!"

Hiyori turned her rage now to the other grinning blonde in the room, "You invited him?"

As she was otherwise occupied Urahara was able to escape to Ichigo's side.

He leant down and conspiratorially whispered behind his fan, "Ne, Ichigo, I need to tell you something important!"

The teen grunted and warily continued to eat.

The shopkeeper took a deep breath, "Aizen is at war with Soul society, and kidnapped Orihime for her powers. She is currently being held captive in Hueco Mundo. Chad and Ishida left yesterday to try and rescue her."

Ichigo spat out a mouthful of curry.

"They did what?" he choked.

"Went off to Hueco Mundo to save Orihime."

The teen scrambled to his feet, "I've got to go help them!"

Urahara beamed, "I hoped you would say that! The portal will be done by tomorrow morning. Come by my shop then!"

Ichigo shook his head, "No that's not soon enough! Do you even know what is in that place? They'll be eaten alive before they make it ten steps. I have to go now!"

He grabbed Zangetsu and clambered out of the underground training area, and out of the warehouse above it, till he was standing in the sunlight outside.

Ignoring the confused calls of the Vizards and Urahara behind him he drew his hand across the air, as if clearing a window of soot.

A dark doorway appeared with the sound of breaking glass. With hardly a backwards glance Ichigo stepped through it and vanished.

+_---=-=-=-

"Did he just…?"

"Yep."

"But not even we can…"

"Yep."

"Urahara-san what just happened? How did berry-kun do that?"

"… I have to go back to my shop and look something up. Ta!"

Hiyori threw her shoe at him, but he was already too far away for it to hit. "Urahara get back here and explain!"

-___---__--__:#

_Meanwhile in Hueco Mundo…_

Ichigo was already running. To where exactly though, he wasn't sure. He had never been very good at sensing others, and was too used to relying on his death defying luck to stop now.

That was why when he heard a familiar scream he didn't hesitate to follow it.

He called up his mask out of habit, and let his sword hang lazily behind him. As he rounded another white sand dune he saw the originator of the scream along with a large hollow with a face like a sand castle.

Mind quickly putting two and two together, Ichigo leapt, jaws agape, and bit down hard on mask of the unsuspecting guardian of the white sands.

Immediately the hollow collapsed into a pile of sand. Satisfied, Ichigo landed lightly on the ground.

"ITHIGO!" with a fierce battle cry a tiny figure launched itself at him and proceeded to snuggle into his robes.

"Nel, are you ok?"

The childlike arrancar grinned happily up at him with her gap tooth smile. "Nel is great Ithigo-sama, look Nel even made new friends thee?" She turned and looked behind herself, and Ichigo for the first time did to.

Both parties blinked shocked at each other, until Ichigo (who had much less to be shocked about) broke the silence.

"….Chad, Ishida, long time no see."

+_+_+_+_+---

Keep in mind that the vizards weren't trying to kill him, and they weren't hollofied. That's why ichi could beat love so easily.

Omake

"_You know I just thought of something_, " Hichigo said.

"What? Is it relevant to us breaking into Las Noches?"

"_Not at all. I was just thinking that since I was born thanks to Urahara and the shattered shaft he threw you into, would that make him my father?"_

"…"

"_And then I was thinking_, " continued the hollow oblivious to Ichigo's discomfort, "_would that make Yoruichi my mom? You know since she and Urahara are like a couple…_" he thankfully trailed off.

Meanwhile Ichigo decided that he would never look at Yoruichi the same way again.

"_Stop thinking of my mother that way pervert!"_


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer…. (Honestly you fill in the blanks)

+_+------

"_Chad Ishida, long time no see."_

The two humans stared at him confused.

Ishida took the first initiative at conversation.

"Have we met?"

Ichigo frowned behind his porcelain mask, brows furrowed.

"Have I really changed that much? I mean it's only been like six months, I think, maybe…"

He ran a hand through his gritty hair wincing at the layers of grime and how it fell messily past his ears just brushing his shoulders.

Nel, who had by this time climbed to her accustomed spot between his shoulder blades, tugged at his red locks too and giggled, "Ithigo-thama, you have a weird thing on your face."

She was actually referring to the sunglasses that Ichigo had bought in the human world and put back on while in the Viazard's basement to shut out the bright light. However her comment reminded the hybrid teen of his mask, which he had forgotten all about.

Honestly he could hardly remember what it was like not wearing it or having it stashed on his person.

"Oh, thanks Nel!"

He gently pulled off the tinted framed (mindful of how fragile the glass was compared to his super strength) and let his mask shatter into dust.

There was a stunned silence, then Chad took a hesitant step forward. "Ichigo?"

Ishida quickly threw out an arm to stop the gentle giant, while the other held his bow.

"Stop, how do we know this is the real Kurosaki? Remember Rukia-san said he died during the fight with Aizen."

Chad looked confused and wary, but Ichigo snorted.

"They would say that, and Ishida I though you hated shinigami, why are you listening to them now? And Chad," here the tall Mexican straitened up, "do you seriously think I would die that easily?"

Chad gave a small smile and tried to approach his friend again, but the Quincy's arm still hadn't budged.

"Ishida, what are you doing, it's Ichigo."

"No, didn't you see the mask?" The teen's knuckles were white clutching his bow. "It's a hollow, and it might be allied with Aizen!"

The happy feeling of reunion that had momentarily filled the empty stretch of sand evaporated like water. Even Nel had stopped her excited squirming.

"Is that what you really think Ishida? I mean I know we weren't friends, but calling me an 'it' and thinking I'm with that bastard Aizen, just because you think I'm a hollow, isn't that a bit harsh? I mean Nel here is more of a hollow than I am, and you were fine trusting her until I showed up."

The other two would be rescuers looked uncomfortable, and Ichida loosened the death grip on his bow.

"Look, I know you don't trust I am who I say I am yet, but Orihime is in trouble and I assume you guys came to save her right? So let's all get on Bawbaw and I swear I'll explain everything on the way to Las Noches."

Chad glanced at Ishida's stony frame but otherwise didn't move.

Ichigo sighed.

"Look it's either that or you wander around aimlessly until you get eaten or the war's over, you pick."

Finally the Bow wielding Quincy relented.

"It better be a good story, Kurosaki."

Ichigo just grinned.

+_+________+++++=

_A few minutes later at the same spot…_

"Darn it we must have just missed them!" Renji angrily kicked at a pile of sand spraying white grains everywhere.

Rukia meanwhile strained her eyes at the horizon trying to catch sight of her two remaining human friends.

"Renji we have to hurry and find them before they reach Aizen's base, they're not strong enough alone."

Renji nodded and began scanning the horizon too.

"There!"

On the horizon nearly out of sight was a tiny spot that reeked of the Quincy's and Chads spiritual pressure.

"If we shunpo we might be able to catch them before they reach the palace."

Her companion nodded and in a swish of sand the duo sped away.

+_+_----------

"It's a wall."

"Yes, Kurosaki, I think we realize that."

"But it's not just any wall," the red-haired teen ignored the glasses wearing others comment, "It's a really big really thick wall that smells like sand."

"While your wonderful observation will not go un noted, how exactly is that helpful to us?"

"Well… I don't know. Wanna try breaking it?"

Ishida sighed and straitened his glasses while Ichigo experimentally ran a hand over the rough white stone.

"That won't do us any good if it's made of sekiseki rock, they absorb reitsu."

Nel, who was sitting still on her favorite redhead's back, piped up. "The rockth are made of smoothed thand. Hollows like loths of reithu in the air, and if they were made of theki rock there wouldn't be enough."

Silence followed her speech, as everyone stared at her.

"…Well you heard her guys. Lets get smashing."

Ichigo pulled out his sword and Chad readied his black armored arm.

+_=------

_Elsewhere…_

"Well Renji it looks like they smashed through the wall back there and took one of these five paths."

"Looks like it."

"We should split up, it will give us a better chance of finding them."

"I'll take the left?"

"And I'll go right."

Just before the two lone shinigami separated ways Renji caught his companion by the sleeve.

"Rukia, come back here alive."

She smiled.

"Only if you do."

+-=-+_+_=---

Renji and Rukia rekindled their lost relationship while mourning for Ichigo. Hey a guy takes an opening when he sees one.

Omake

Ichigo: "Las Noches is Spanish!"

Hichigo: "Ya, so what?"

Ichigo: "It proves that hell really is in Mexico!"

Hichigo: "…"

Ichigo: "It Explains so Much!"

_Blame South Park for this_


	13. Chapter 13

()()()()())++

'You know on second though, maybe splitting up was not such a good idea. Why did we do that again?'

Hichigo, who had been taking a nap, bored with the endless white hallways, shrugged. _'I don't know, something about finding Orihime faster. Sounds like a bad mystery to me.'_

'Genkies, I agree.'

All of a sudden a loud cry came from behind him.

"ICHIGO!!!"

"Nel? Ooof!"

The little arrancar head butted him straight in the stomach.

"Nel, I thought I told you to stay outside where it's safe."

"But, but," her large eyes filled with tears and she buried her face in his chest once again.

"Nel wants to be with Ithigo!"

"Well, Nel, it's too-" he cut himself off, eyes narrowing.

"Ithigo, what'ths wrong?"

"Quiet Nel, we aren't alone." He placed his hand on Zangetsu's hilt, mask already on his face.

"Come out, whoever you are." Strange sounds came from above. Suddenly one of the support beams on the ceiling came crashing down.

The dust cleared revealing a man dressed all in white with his hair pointed up like two horns.

"My name is Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccino! I will be your opponent, intruder!"

Ichigo felt a bead of sweat trail down the back of his head.

"Is this guy for real?" he thought.

"_Unfortunately."_

"Intruder?" Ichigo bluffed, "Me an intruder? Cant you see the mask, I'm an arrancar!"

Dordoni Alessandro hesitated.

"Well, then why did you enter with the intruders?"

Thinking fast Ichigo caught sight of Nel and got an idea.

"This little green kid got captured by them. I was just rescuing her."

The arrancar frowned, still unconvinced.

"Why are your cloths not white then?"

"Uh, one of the intruders shot fire at me, this is all dirt and soot."

For once Ichigo thanked the fact that he had been unable to change cloths for months on end. His cloths were so ground with stains of white sand, that they bleached from a faded black to a dark grey. Much like his sword, he realized vaguely.

"What number are you?" Alessandro still remained unconvinced.

Luckily Nel piped up from her perch on his back.

"Nel isth arrancar 42, and Sthrawberry Head isth number 67! We were gonna run to tell Azen-thama about the intruders."

The arrancar nodded, accepting that explanation for now.

"Aizen –sama already knows, he sent the privarion to deal with them."

Ichigo nodded as if this was a good thing.

"Well, we really should be getting on our way, and I've got to change my uniform, sooo !"

Running as fast as he could Ichigo disappeared around a corner, leaving a rather confused arrancar in his wake.

Ichigo ran undisturbed for quite some time. It disconcerted him greatly. Seeing a door coming up on his left, he stopped just long enough to dash inside and as softly as he could, slam it shut behind him.

Panting he gently levered Nel from his back to the floor, before sitting down himself, his ragged pants leaving imaginary diet smudges on the blindingly white floor.

"I cant believe that worked!" he gasped between pants.

Nel grinned up at him from between her fingers in that 'I know a secret' way that children acquire whenever a dragon seems to have appeared on set.

However, instead of asking the small arrancar what exactly she found so funny, Ichigo looked around the room he had entered.

It looked, he decided, like the bedroom of someone who never found a need to use it. Everything shone meticulously clean, much too clean for habitation.

Noticing some closed doors looking suspiciously like a closet Ichigo stood and opened them to find row upon row of stunningly white uniforms carefully hung so that not a wrinkle appeared on them.

Vaguely an image of his own closet filled the teen's mind, with it's layers upon layers of wrinkled cloths shoved hurriedly under Rukia's cot.

Shaking the memory away he rummaged through the garments pulling out the first thing his fingers touched.

It was a pair of long white pants neatly hung beneath a short coat. No shirt was visible.

Frowning Ichigo dug deeper, throwing aside hangers and towers of folds, but still found no shirt.

Sighing he reexamined his first choice. They looked a bit big.

Preparing to strip, ichigo remembered his companion.

Nel for her part had been watching him tear apart the closet with rapt interest.

"Uh, Nel, go bounce on that bed in the corner facing the wall and whatever you do, don't turn around." Happily the green haired child bounced away, landed on the white bed and proceeded to bounce away.

Quickly Ichigo exchanged his tattered rags for white pants. They hung loosely around his hips, threatening to fall off. Thinking quickly the boy tore a strip of black from his old pants and tied it around his waist in a makeshift belt.

Turning back to the odd jacket Ichigo discovered that the sleeves, which he had previously believed to be elbow length, actually un-cuffed to where they might just be able to reach his hands.

Testing his theory he was surprised to find they did.

Unfortunately the jacket didn't reach the tops of his pants, nor did it have enough room to close around the front, exposing his bandage covered chest and stomach.

Before Ichigo could do more than ponder his new wardrobe, the door opened.

Quick as a flash Ichigo turned to see a very startled looking arrancar with blue hair.

They stared blankly at eachother, Nel still hopping madly in the background.

His blue eyes morphed into hatred and his teeth ground together.

"What the HELL are you doing in my room?"

+_+_+_+-

Omake

Grimjow yawned triumphantly.

Finally, after hours of trial and error he had finally done it. Task complete the blue haired man yawned and stumbled through the door.

With catlike grace he settled onto the floor, curling sleepily into a ball, completely ignoring the social rule that stated quite clearly the lack of manners required to sleep in the hallway.

But the arrancar didn't care.

He just got all the wrinkles out of his pillowcase, and didn't feel the want to mar its perfection just yet.

+_+_+_+_+_

Sorry grim as a neat freak seems funny to me


	14. Chapter 14

You may lynch me at your leasure.

Nobody moved an inch. Except of course Nel, who was still bouncing on the bed.

The blue haired arrancar seethed, his fists glowing red with an unfired cero.

Ichigo tried his best to appear innocent. He then decided to reconsider this no so full proof plan, as he was wearing the evidence of his conviction. Maybe he could just grab Nel and run? It worked out well last time…

"_Wow Ichigo, you are such a coward,"_ the hollow dead panned from the back of his mind. Ichigo scowled behind his mask.

"_I'ld like to see you handle this better!"_ Hichigo giggled like Yachiru in a candy shop. Ichigo shivered suddenly wary.

"_I thought you'ld never ask! Move over!" _The orange haired teen suddenly had the strangest out of body experience of his life. It was like watching a movie from behind his own eyes.

"_Hichigo, what the hell!"_ he screamed. "_I thought we decided not to do this anymore?"_

_  
"Shut up and watch your better half at work."_ Ichigo growled, metaphorical teeth grinding, as the hollow forcibly ignored him.

Hichigo grinned at the arrancar. Said arrancar flexed his tense fists.

"You have two seconds to get out of my room before I kill you in a much more painful way than I originally intended to." A twitch began above his blue eyebrows.

"My, and here I thought this place was suppose to welcome hollows!" Hichigo languidly picked up Zangetsu from where his partner had dropped in the corner to change. "Guess I was wrong. Your boss isn't getting my help anymore!" brushing some imagionary dirt from his new gleaming white pants the doupleganger brushed past his speechless opponent into the hall. "Come on Nel, we're leaving."

The green haired child happily bounced into his arms, giggling something about mattresses.

Suddenly, but not unexpectedly, a beam of red light slammed into the back of the part time shinigami's head. The yellow eyed hollow grinned, smoke billowing from his charred form.

"Nel, the adults are gonna play right now, so why don't you go off and play? We'll meet up again with Chad and Ishida."

"M'kay!" she squeaked, happily bouncing away down the hall.

Hichigo straightened up, sword thrown across his shoulder, a ccky smirk playing beneath his skull mask. "Now where were we?"

The blue hared arrancar snarled, his teeth bared in anger. Hichigo laughed.

"If we're going to fight, I may as well know your name, so when people ask who killed you I can take credit." His opponent's scowl deepened.

"Grimjaw Jeagerjas, and I'll take pleasure in tearing you limb from limb!"

The hollow smirked.

"Hm, That's nice. I have no name, but you can call me your death."

omake!!!

"Yes you do!" Ichigo said suddenly.

"What?"

"You do have a name, I named you!"

"Partner, not now, cant you see that I'm about to kill someone?"

Ichigo huffed.

"You're just embarrassed, aren't you!"

"What? wait-"

"You are, you don't like the name I gave you! you're so mean I don't want to talk to you anymore!"

The sounds of footsteps and a slamming door filled his ears, leaving the hollow stunned.

"Where the hell is he gonna go? Right now he's just a voice in my head!"


End file.
